INDIA Bloc rift widens after RS poll upset in Jharkhand
The unexpected defeat of Congress candidate Pranav Jha in the recent Rajya Sabha election has triggered an escalating war of words among constituents of the INDIA alliance in Jharkhand, exposing deep fissures within the ruling coalition. Soon after the election results were declared, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju alleged that legislators from alliance partners Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI(ML) had cross-voted in favour of BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani. The charge was subsequently echoed by senior Congress leaders, including minister Deepika Pandey Singh, former state Congress president Rajesh Thakur and party general secretary Alok Kumar Dubey. Dubey alleged…